Automobile lamp cover



H. I. CAUSE. AUTOMOBILE LAMP COVER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- I2. I92].

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

ENTOI? I 'TTORNEI' Rm IMMIW H. J. CAUSE.

AUTOMOBILE LAMP COVER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1921.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

2 SHEETS$HEET 2.

A TTO/M/E V .l0 all whom it mag "concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMOBILE LAMP COVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

Application filed February 12, 1921.. Serial No. 444,381.

Be it known that I, HARRY J. Cause, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in-the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Lamp Covers; and I do hereby declare thefollow ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and a slight modification of the same,-selected by me for purposes of illustration and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a cover for automobile lamps which will protect the lamp from the weather without interfering in any way with the use of the lamp for purposes of illumination. The

lamps of automobiles have become more and more elaborate and expensive, and when exposed to the rain, snow, and so forth, the exposed portions become tarnished'and must be repolished. The more expensive lamps are usually finished in nickel and some are even finished in silver, and the continual.

polishing of the lamp rapidly destroys the finish.

In carrying out my invention I provide an extremely simple -,cover comprising essentially a .front piece having a transparent portion of celluloid or the like corresponding substantially to the lens of the lamp, and a hood portion, which covers the top, back and sides of the lamp, together with the supporting bracket and connections, completely encloslng them and protecting them from the weather, the hood being connected to the front piece so that when in place on the lamp it supports the front piece in position with the transparent portion in registration with the lens. For convenience in attaching and removing the cover, the front piece, as well as the hood. is extended below the lamp body, and the side portions of the hood are preferably slit up to a point suffiportions overlap eachother so as to prevent the water from getting in upon the lamp, and the bottom edges of the front piece and the back portion of the hood are connected together around the stem of the lamp bracket. The back of the hood is also provided with aslit to accommodate the electric conductor. The resulting device completely encloses the lamp and bracket and can be attached and removed in an instant, and when in place completely protects the'lamp without in any way interfering with the use of it, which is particularly important in night driving in bad weather.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my improved lamp cover applied to a popular type of lamp, the lampand lamp bracket being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lamp cover as it appears on the lamp;

Fig. 3 is a section on dotted line 3- 3 of flat, the lower portion of the front piece being folded upward for the purpose of illustrating the detachable connecting devices;

Fig. 6 is a diagram-of the front piece;

Fig. 7 is a diagram of the back piece of the hood;

'Fig. 8 is a plan view of the lntermediate portion of the hood;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a slightly modified formof lamp cover in which the hood portion is made of slightly different form in order to conform to a different type of lamp, indicated in dotted lines.

Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, I have shown a fof'm of my improved lamp cover designed especially for a popular type of automobile head light which is cylindrical or drum shaped and is usually finished entirely in nickel or silver. 1 represents the front piece of the cover, which is provided w th a clrcular aperture corresponding in size to the lens of the lamp. The edges of this aperture are preferably turned in, and a wee of transparent flexible material, suc as celluloid, indicated at 2, is secured over this aperture; on the inner side of the front piece, referabl by two rows of stitching.

The celluloid may also be. cemented to the front piece. It is. to be understood that the.

. body of the lamp cover is composed of suitable weather proofmaterial, such as rub- 'berized fabric, leather or imitation leather,

and it may be provided with .a lining or not asdesired. For this type of lamp the hood portion comprises, preferably, an intermediate piece, indicated at 3, the edges of which are parallel, as indicated at 4-' 4, and'a back piece 5, indicated in detail 1n I Fig. 7, and being of the same size and-shape as the front piece 1, but without the light aperture. The front edge of the intermediate' piece 3 is united to the outer edge of the front piece 1, and is preferably stitched and bound so as to. form an up-- wardly and forwardly projecting bead, in-

dicated at 6, which has an important. function in directing the water, rain, or melted snow ,down the outside of the lamp cover, and discharging it at the bottom, without permitting it to touch the lamp. In this type of cover the rear edge of the intermediate piece 3 is united to the edge of the back piece 5 in-the 'same manner as before described and forms a rearwardly extending bead, indicated at 7, which performs the same function at the rear portion of the hood. The intermediate. piece 3 is also provided at each end with a slit, indicated at 8-8, the.edges of which are preferably bound. This slit is carried high enough to accommodate a lateral brace rod, indicated at 9, which is often employed in connection with these lamps to brace them by connecting their brackets to each other, orv to an tion by the curve of the fork or supporting bracket, thus preventing rain from getting into the interior of the case. Those portions of' the intermediate piece in front and rear of'the slit 8 I term the flaps 13 and 14 respectively, for convenience of reference. "At the bottom of the lamp 'cover the flaps '13, which 'are united to the front piece, are

folded flat against the front piece, as clearly shown 1n the drawings, particularly Fig. 5,

while the flaps 14:, attached to the back piece,

- the back piece.

are folded flat at the lower-edges against I-also provide means for detachably connecting the bottom portion of the front piece to the back portionof the hood in such a manner as to completely enclose the lamp and its bracket while per- The -edges of the sllt 8 will overlap each other, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, being held in posimitting the stem 15 of the supporting bracket to project. between the meeting edges of said front and back portions. The back portion of the hood is preferably provided with a slit, indicated at 16, to accommodate the electric conductor, indicated at 17, for

supplying current to the lamp.

The main fastening devlces for securing the front and back portions together at their lower edges may be of any desired type, but I prefer to employ what are generally known as snap fasteners comprising made and female members, and for convenience I will indicate in the drawings. the

cooperating members of a single fastening by the same reference character. I prefer to locate the main fastening devices adjacent to the lower and outer edges of the front and rear pieces, and to locate them upon the flaps 1314 respectively. These flaps are shown as provided with the separable or detachable snap fasteners 18-18 and 1919 respectively, as best illustrated in Fig. It is really only necessary to provide my improved cover withthese two fasteners, but I prefer tov provide the front and rear pieces with additional fasteners, indicated at 20- 20 and 21-21 separated laterally a distance sufficient to enable them to fasten on opposite "sides' of the stem 15 of the supporting bracket, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

It will be readily seen that my improved cover can be placed over a lamp and secured in an instant bysnapping the fastenings 100 i 18, 19, 20, 21 and their cooperating members,

thus uniting the lower end of the front piece tofthe lower portion of the hood, and completely enclosingthe lamp bracket and connections. It will be seen that the 'hoodpOrtion holds the front-piece in such position that the transparent portion 2 is registered with the lens of the lamp, and the lamp can be used as well with the hood in position as without it. p

In Fig. 9 I have shown a slightly modified form of my improved lamp cover designed for another popular type of lamp, the casing of which conforms at the rear with the general form of the parabolic reflector. In this .form of the cover the front piece, indicated at 101, will be formed exactly like the front piece hereinbefore described, and will be provided with a transparent portion 102. The hood portion, indicated at 103, will necessarily be made to conform to the shape of ,the back of the lamp casing, as shown. The hood portion will, however, enclose the lamp and lampbracket, and be provided at its rear with a slit 116 to accommodate the conductor, indicated at- 117. The hood is also provided with lateral slits 108 form-- ingthe overlappingportions 113-411, and the lower portions of the front iece and the back of the hood are united exactly in the same manner, as indicated, for example, in

fn all forms of the lamp cover the slits 8 are so formed, as indicated in Fig. 8", that they will accommodate any lateral braces or brace rods which may be employed; but as will be readily understood, if there are no such lateral brace rods, the overlapping portions 113114 will naturally overlap from the upper ends of the slit 8 (or 108).- Another advantage of providing these slits on both sides is that the lamp covers may be i used interchangeably on lamps on the right orleft hand side of the car, thus saving portions 6 and 7 tend to dire time in applying the covers. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the headthe' water falling on the top and sides 0 the lamp lens of the lamp, and a hood portion extending over the entire top, rear and side portions of the lamp and its supporting bracket, and secured to the front piece, so as to maintain thetransparent portion thereof in registration with the lens when in operative position, the rear portions of the hood and the front piece being provided adjacent to their lower edges with detachable fastening means for connecting the front and rear portions at these points, and forming the only fastening devices for the cover.

'2. A protecting cover for automobile lamps, comprising among its members a front piece provided with a transparent portion corresponding substantially with the lens of the lamp, and a hood portion extending over the entire top, rear and side portions of the lamp and its supporting bracket,. and secured to the front piece, so as to maintain the transparent portion'thereof in registration with the lens when in operative position, the rear portions of the hoodand the front piece being provided adjacent to their. lower edges with detachable fastening means for connecting the front and rear portions at these points, and forming the only fastening devices for the cover, the side portions of the hood portion being provided with a Vertical slit on each side, and the lower portions on opposite sides of said slits being folded upon the front piece and the back of the hood respectively, the edges of said slits overlapping each other and maintaining the side portions of the hood closed. 3. A protecting cover for automobile lamps, comprising among its members a front piece provided with a transparent portion corresponding substantially with the lens of the lamp, and a hood portion extending over the entire top, rear and side por r tions of the lamp and its supporting brack-' et, and secured to the front piece, so as to .maintain the transparent portion thereof in e lens when in operative,

registration with t position, the side portion being provided with ayertical slit on each side extending to the lower edge thereof, the lower portions in front and rear'of said slits being folded upon the front piece and the back of the hood respectively, said side portions being provided adjacent to the lower and outer edges of the front piece and back portibn of the hood with detachable fastening means, the opposite edges of said slits overlapping each other and maintaining the side portions of the hood closed. I

4. A protecting cover for automobile lamps, comprising among its members a front piece provided with a transparent portion corresponding substantially with the lens of the lamp, and a hood portion extending over the entire top, rear and side portions of the lamp and its supportingbracket, and secured to the front piece, so as to maintain the transparent portion thereof in registration with the lens when in operative position, the side portion being provided with a vertical slit on each side extending to the lower edge-thereof, the lower portions in front and rear of said slits being folded upon the front piece and the back of the hood respectively, said side portions being provided adjacent to the lower and outer edges of the front piece and back portion of the hood with detachablefastening means, the opposite edges of said slits overlapping each other and maintaining the side portions of the hood closed, the rear portion of the hood having a slit extending upwardly from its lower edge to accommodatethe electric conductor and said rear portion on opposite sides of said slit, and the corresponding portions at the lower edge of the front piece being provided with detachable connections for connecting the front piece and the rear portion of thehood substantially centrally of their lower edges, said connections being separated sufliciently to accommodate the lower arm of the lamp supporting bracket.

5. A protecting cover for automobile lamps, comprising among its members a front piece corresponding substantially with the upper and lateral portions of the lamp, and having a depending portion extending below the lamp, said front piece bein provided with a transparent portion a apted to register with the lens of the lamp,,a hood portion comprising a back piece of substantially the same form as the front piece, and

an intermediate pie :e having substantially parallel front and rear edges, united to the bracket, the portions of said edges of the front and back pieces, the said intermediate piece being slit upward from its lower edges to form overlapping portions, and the front and back pieces being held together at their lower edges by detachable connections, forming theonly fastening 1 means.

6. A protecting cover for] automobile lamps, comprising among its members a front piece coryesponding substantially with the upper and lateral portions of the lamp, and having a depending portion'extenoling below the lamp, said front piece being provided with a transparent portion adapted to register with the lens of the lamp, a hood portion comprising a back piece of substantially the same form as the front piece, and an intermediate piece having substantially parallel front and rear edges, united to the edges of the front and back pieces, the said intermediate piecebeing slit upward from its lower edges to form overlapping portions, the back piece being provided with a vertical slit extending upward from the lower edge to accommodate the electric conductor of the lamp, and the cover being provided with detachable fastenings adjacent to the lower edges of the front and back portions, certain of said fastenings being located adjacent to the outer corners of the back and front pieces, and certain of said fastenings being located centrally of said lower edges on opposite'sides of the slit in the back piece to accommodate the lower arm of the lamp supporting bracket.

7 A protecting cover for automobile lamps, comprising among its members a front piece corresponding substantially with the upper and lateral portions of the lamp, and having a depending portion extending below the lamp, said front piece being provided with a transparent portion adapted to register with the lens of the lamp, a hood portion comprising a back piece of substantially the same form as the front piece, and an intermediate piece having substantially parallel front and rear edges, united to the edges of the front and back pieces, the said intermediate piece being slit upward from its lower edges to form overlapping portions,

the back piece being provided with a vertical slit extending upward from its lower ed e to accommodate the electrical conductoro the lamp, the lower portions of said intermediate piece having\ provided with cooperating detachable fastenings located adjacent to the lower and outer edges of'the front and back pieces, and the lower edgesof the front and .back pieces being provided with cooperating detachable fastenings adjacent to the center,

of said edges, and separated to accommodate the lower arm of the lamp supporting fastenings on the lower edge of the back piece being located on opposite sides of the slit therem.

8. A protecting cover for automobile lamps, comprising among its members a front piece provided with a transparent portion corresponding substantially with, the lens of the lamp, and a hood portion extending over the top, rear and sides of the lamp and its supporting bracket; and having its forward edges secured to the edges of the front piece to form an upwardly and forwardly projecting bead, the lateral portions of the hood being slit vertically from their lower edges upward, and the front and rear portions folded respectively against the front piece and the back of the hood at the lower edge, and means for detachably securing the lower edges of'the front piece and the back of the hood together, whereby said bead will direct the water downwardly and discharge it at the bottom'of the cover.

9. A protecting cover for automobile lamps, comprising among its members I a front piece provided with a transparent portion corresponding substantially with the lens of the lamp, and a hood portion extending over the top, rear and sides of the lamp and its supporting bracket, and comprising an intermediate piece. having parallel edges and a backpiece corresponding in shape with the front piece, the edges of the intermediate piece being secured to the edges of the front and back pieces, and forming projecting angular ,beads, said intermediate portion being slit vertically from its lower edges upwardly, the flap portions in front and rear of said slit being folded at their, lower ends against the front and back pieces respectively, and provided with separable fastening devices for uniting the back and front pieces at their lower and outer edges, said beads serving to direct thewater dowtuwardly and assistin discharging it at the bottom of the cover.

10. A protecting cover for automobil'. lamps, comprising among its members a front piece provided with a transparent portion corresponding substantially with the lens of the lamp, and a hood portion extending over the entire top, rear and side portions of the lamp and its supporting bracket,

and secured to the front piece, so as to main-' tain the transparent portion thereof in registration with the lens when in operative position,'and providing an aperture permitting the cover to be placed over the lamp, said front piece and hood being provided adjacent to said aperture with means for detachably connecting the front piece and hood to enclose'the lamp.. I

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature; HARRY J. JALISE. 

